Students who feel their cars were ticketed unjustly by NIU can appeal to the University Parking Appeals Committee.

The committee hears appeals of students, faculty and staff, said Todd Allen, Student Association mass transit board adviser.

There are 13 appointed committee members, three chosen by President John La Tourette, three representatives from the Operating Staff Council, three members from the Supportive Staff Council, three students from the SA and one person from the Campus Parking Committee, said Assistant Parking Manager LaRonda Thuestad.

“The duties of the committee are to review and adjudicate all appeals for traffic violations presented in writing or in person and to review requests for parking privileges from students who are not eligible for campus parking privileges under existing regulations,” according to NIU’s Committees of the University handbook.

“We need students to sit in on the committee meetings,” Allen said. “Being a member of the committee can help a fellow student.”

There are three open seats for students on the committee, Allen said. “It’s a volunteer basis,” he said.

So far, no students have shown an interest in the available committee seats, Allen said.

“No one from the parking division is on the committee,” Thuestad said. “We are impartial.”

If the committee feels the violation is justified, the student can appeal a second time, Thuestad said.

“The student can appear in person or give a written statement to the committee. The second decision is final,” she said.

“The money collected from the fines is used for creating new parking lots, repairing and maintenance of existing parking lots, signage and salaries of people in the parking division,” Thuestad said.

The University Parking Appeals Committee works closely with the Campus Parking Committee, but are seperate committees, said Karen DeVault, operating staff member of the Campus Parking Committee.

The University Parking Appeals Committee reports to the Campus Parking Committee, she said.

The University Parking Appeals Committee meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month, Thuestad said.